Your skin changes quite significantly as you age, meaning that your skincare routine needs to evolve in order to adapt to those new needs.

If you’re still following the same skincare routine from a decade ago, here are eight ways in which you should be changing things up.

Go for a Gentler Cleanser

Your skin’s protective barrier sits on the outermost layer of your skin, and helps to keep your skin cells moisturized by preventing water from evaporating. Sadly, this barrier deteriorates with age, meaning that, with age, your skincare routine should be focused on protecting and supporting that barrier as much as possible.

How?

The first way is by switching to a gentler cleanser. Yes, a powerful cleanser is a must when it comes to clearing away oil, dirt and makeup residue, but many cleansers also strip away the skin’s natural oils, which form a substantial part of that all-important barrier.

How do you know if a cleanser is gentle?

Look for a cleanser that has been enriched with soothing and supportive ingredients, such as:

• Aloe vera
• Chamomile extract
• Calendula extract
• Licorice root extract

The OROGOLD 24K Vitamin C Cleanser contains all of the above, combined with a hefty dose of vitamin C for additional brightening and anti-aging effects.

Switch to a Thicker Moisturizer

Another way to protect that precious skin barrier is by switching to a thicker moisturizer. The moisturizer itself will basically act as an extra barrier between your skin and the environment around it, and so the thicker it is, the stronger that barrier will be.

As people age, their skin tends to dry out, meaning that a moisturizer containing plant butters and oils would be beneficial.

However, if you have oily skin and want to avoid anything pore-clogging, look for moisturizers packed with different humectants. These will draw moisture to the skin, without blocking up your pores and triggering breakouts. Some of the best humectants out there include:

• Hyaluronic acid
• Sodium hyaluronate
• Glycerin
• Honey

Stop Using Physical Exfoliants

If you’re a fan of face scrubs, this is something you would be best off leaving behind in your youth.

Why?

Well, remember that precious protective skin barrier that was mentioned? As your skin gets more delicate with age, scrubs can end up literally scrubbing that barrier away, leaving your skin susceptible to dryness and other forms of damage.

What type of exfoliant should you use instead?

Fortunately, chemical exfoliants not only tend to be more effective than physical exfoliants, but they are also gentler, so long as you choose the right formula.

They may sound a little intimidating, but chemical exfoliants simply dissolve away the glue-like substance that keeps those dead skin cells hanging onto your face, enabling them to easily drop off. They will often be packaged like serums, with their consistency being very liquid. 

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) are the two main types of chemical exfoliants, with there being several AHAs to choose from. Glycolic acid is believed to be the most effective, while lactic acid is the mildest.

Of course, ingredient concentration makes a difference too, so just make sure that you start off with the gentlest product possible when you first move on to chemical exfoliants.

Choose the Right Serums

Serums are great for targeting various skin concerns as you age, but you need to be using the right ones.

How do you know if a serum is right for you?

Well, as you age, antioxidants become even more important.

Why?

Because over the years, your skin will have experienced quite a bit of damage, especially from the sun. With 80% of facial wrinkles and dark spots being caused by over-exposure to the sun, it goes without saying that you want to repair this damage as quickly as possible, before it’s too late.

A serum is the best way to deliver antioxidants to your skin. Thanks to their lightweight consistency, they are able to quickly penetrate deep down, giving those nutrients to the skin cells that have the ability to put them to action. So, ideally, you should now be using a serum that is jam-packed with different antioxidants.

How do you decide which antioxidants you need?

There are some antioxidants that everyone should be using, such as:

• Vitamin C
• Resveratrol
• Vitamin E
• Green Tea Extract

Other than that, choose antioxidants that best treat the specific skin issues that you are dealing with. For example, if dark spots are a problem, licorice extract, niacinamide and kojic acid are great. On the other hand, if you want to tighten and firm up your skin, turn to grape seed extract and rose hip seed extract.

Can’t find the perfect product?

Try the new OROGOLD 24K Rose Gold Age Glow Duo – it’s a pretty unique formula in that it consists of both a powder and a serum. The powder, which is infused with several of the antioxidants already mentioned, is applied first, followed by the serum, again packed with antioxidants, along with several hydrating ingredients.

Don’t be afraid about combining different serums either – antioxidants actually work so much better alongside each other, so the more the merrier!

Never Forget About SPF

You can probably remember several days from earlier years when you would skip out on the sunscreen, telling yourself that those few times wouldn’t make a difference.

Well, if you’re now noticing fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, or any sagging on your face, these are the built-up effects of all of the sun damage you have experienced over the years.

It goes without saying that you don’t want this to get any worse. After all, you’re likely using a number of different skin care products designed to minimize those fine lines and lighten those dark spots.

Well, even the best products in the world won’t work if your skin is still being damaged by the sun, making sunscreen even more important than ever.

SPF 30 is perfectly acceptable, but where most people slip up is in the reapplication. It’s easy to forget to do this throughout the day, but this is something that you need to pay extra attention to, even if this means setting reminders on your phone until you have gotten used to your new habit.

Protect That Neck

One of the areas that many don’t think about in their youth is the neck. However, as age creeps up and neck lines slowly become apparent, the panic can set in.

Don’t worry, there are a few things that you can do to repair some of the damage that has already been done. There are also a couple of ways in which you can tweak your skincare routine, along with your lifestyle habits, to prevent more from appearing.

How can you reduce the appearance of neck lines?

A moisturizer with plumping ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, is a must when it comes to reducing the appearance of neck lines. Research shows regular moisturizer application to be a game-changer in improving the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

Specialized serums and treatments containing retinol can also help. Retinol helps to increase the skin’s natural production of collagen and elastin; the two proteins that give your skin its smoothness, firmness and elasticity. These decline with age, which is why those neck lines are becoming more visible, so boosting their levels back up will help to bring that youthful fullness back to your skin.

A dedicated neck mask can help with this too. You probably already use face masks, so give a neck mask a try once a week or so to really show that area some extra love.

How can you prevent future neck lines from forming?

In addition to making sure that you always extend your skincare routine down to your neck, which includes everything from your cleanser and toner to your serums, exfoliants, and moisturizers, there is one big lifestyle habit that you can change too.

Chances are that when you look at your phone or your computer screen, you’re looking downwards. This then causes lines to appear on your neck, and while they may bounce back to flawless smoothness in your youth, age will cause them to slowly start sticking around.

Instead of looking down at your phone, try holding it directly in front of your face either, so that you are looking straight ahead. This may feel a little strange at first, but it will make a surprisingly big difference when it comes to preventing neck lines from forming.

Invest in Quality Eye Serums and Creams

As you may have noticed, the skin around the eyes tends to be the first part of the face to develop fine lines and wrinkles.

Ever wondered why?

It’s because the skin here is much thinner and more delicate than the skin on the rest of your face. This makes it much more susceptible to the lines that develop each time your facial muscles move, and it also makes them more vulnerable to damage.

A smooth, tight, and firm eye area can completely transform a person’s look, making this a part of your face worth spending some extra time on.

How do you choose a good eye serum and eye cream?

Again, just like with your face serum, your eye serum should be packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Your eye cream, which is applied after the serum, should contain supportive ingredients too, while also providing an additional physical protective barrier for the delicate skin in that area.

Don’t forget to look for ingredients that will also target any specific skin issues you’re experiencing around your eyes. For example, the OROGOLD 24K Dark Circle Eye Solution contains specific ingredients to reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness around the eyes.

What about eye masks?

Eye masks are perfect for when your skin could do with some extra TLC, and using them consistently in the long term will really help to brighten and tighten this area up.

Don’t Neglect the Rest of Your Body

The skin on your face may be up to 10 times thinner and more fragile than the skin on the rest of your body, but this doesn’t mean that your body won’t require some extra attention too.

Just like the skin on your face, the skin on your body is going to experience creases, wrinkles, dark spots, sagging, and more, making it important to treat these concerns as they arise, in order to prevent them from worsening.

Can you use your regular facial skincare products on your body?

Technically, yes, but you would be better off going for something designed for the body.

As mentioned, the skin on your body is much thicker and tougher, meaning that a dedicated formula would be better in order to properly penetrate the skin here. Facial products also tend to be pretty specialized, which your body won’t usually require, so you don’t want to end up wasting the face products you have heavily invested in.

What should you be using on your body?

Regularly exfoliating is a must. While scrubs should be avoided for the face, these are usually fine to be used on the body, since the skin here isn’t quite as vulnerable.

A body butter or cream applied at least once a day is also important. This will help to keep the skin on your body moisturized and hydrated, enabling it to look younger for longer.

Make sure that you don’t forget about your hands either! From hand washing to environmental damage, the skin on your hands can quickly take on a rough and wrinkled appearance. A dedicated hand cream, along with regular use of a hand mask, can help to combat this.

While you may think that the skincare routine you stumbled upon in your teenage years will last you for life, this isn’t true at all. Yes, that routine may have suited you back then, but, as you age, your skin’s needs will change, making it important for you to tweak and adjust your routine as you age to cater to your skin’s evolving requirements.